If any of you have ever taken a class like physics or statistics at NC State, you are familiar with the concept of “test slots.” These are chunks of time that are blocked off in your schedule, which is when all of your tests for that particular class will be held. While in theory this was a good idea, it falls flat in execution and is just not the most productive way for students to take tests.
The main reason why I have come to despise test slots is they are always scheduled sometime in the evening. For PY 205: Physics for Engineers and Scientists I, my test slot was Tuesdays at around 7:30 p.m. This year, for ST 311: Introduction to Statistics, it’s scheduled from 6-8 p.m. — a significant improvement from the previous, but flawed nonetheless.
While talking to my fellow students about their thoughts on test slots, I got a very mixed bag of emotions. Many of them loved it because it gave them the whole day to study for the test and because they just don’t like morning tests. Fair enough, I guess. But many of them had the same thought process as me where they disliked late tests because they felt drained by the time they had to take the test and feel like they perform with better concentration earlier on in the day.
A quick Google search told me the term for this mental exhaustion students face as they go through the day: cognitive fatigue. Studies have shown the best time to take a test is first thing in the morning or right after recess, i.e., a break. This makes sense why some students at NC State like later tests while others don’t. Students who unluckily have a busier schedule on test days feel exhausted by the time they take their test, while others who had a more relaxed day could focus on preparing and taking adequate breaks.
It’s tricky finding the perfect test slot considering how every student is different and does well under different conditions. As a learning environment, it should be the primary responsibility of the University and professors to help their students do well, so there are a few alternatives to test timings that go up till 9:30 p.m.
First, earlier test slots. This is my least favorite solution because while it may be something I personally would love, it’ll have its own set of flaws. As I mentioned earlier, certain students may not prefer this over late testing slots; it may be harder to create your semester schedule with test slots taking up time in the middle of the day, and it could put added pressure on faculty and teaching staff to switch to a completely new system, so let’s stick to some alternatives we already know work.
Tests during class time! This is a great method most classes already use, so why not just apply it instead of an additional test time during the week. Most students tend to pick classes towards the start of their day — whether that’s 8:30 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. — so it doesn’t matter because the student is typically well-rested. Even if they’re not, it’s still familiar. Since we’ve gone back to having regular in-person classes for the most part, our bodies are used to getting up, going to that building and learning about that particular subject at that time. Humans are creatures of habit, so sticking to the normal class schedule for testing should not be a problem for either the students or the teaching staff.
Lastly, and this is my favorite one: using the DELTA testing center. Flexibility can come a great way to help a student destress and prepare for their test calmly, knowing they have some control over when and where they can take their test. One of my current classes uses the centers on campus to administer tests, and students have the option of choosing between multiple test slots over three days and two locations.
This is a great option because of numerous reasons. Firstly, it gives students the chance to pick the best location and time to take their test depending on their whole schedule. Secondly, one testing center is on main campus while the other is on Centennial, easily accessible from most on and off-campus housing locations. Thirdly, students can use a whole desk to work on their test problems instead of bumping elbows with people next to them on the teeny “desks” in lecture halls. It may seem like a small thing, but it can do wonders for someone’s test scores if they’re more comfortable and can focus on the actual test instead of making sure their calculator doesn’t fall down.
Long story short, we have options to make late-evening testing go away. One of my professors recently told our class these tests have been held at these times for as long as he can remember. But since times are changing and we know of better alternatives, let’s try to put an end to this old tradition and help us students do the best we possibly can.
